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362 THE VI BOOKE OF THE Cant VI
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Thus hauing sayd, his sickely patients
Did gladly hearken to his graue beheast,
And kept so well his wise commaundements,
That in short space their malady was ceast,
And eke the biting of that harmefull Beast
Was throughly heal'd Tho when they did
perceaue
Their wounds recur'd, and forces reincreast,
Of that good Hermite both they tooke their
leaue,
And went both on their way, ne ech would other
leaue 16
But each the other vow'd t'accompany,
The Lady, for that she was much in dred,
Now left alone in great extremity,
The Squire, for that he courteous was indeed,
Would not her leaue alone in her great need
So both together traueld, till they met
With a faire Mayden clad in mourning weed,
Vpon a mangy lade vnmeetely set,
And a lewd foole her leading thorough dry and
wet 17
But by what meanes that shame to her befell,
And how thereof her selfe she did acquite,
I must a while forbeare to you to tell,
Till that, as comes by course, I doe recite,
What fortune to the Briton Prince did lite,
Pursuing that proud Knight, the which
whileare
Wrought to Sir Calidore so foule despight,
And eke his Lady, though she sickely were,
So lewdly had abusde, as ye did lately heare
18
The Prince according to the former token,
Which faire Serene to him dehuered had,
Pursu'd him streight, in mynd to beneywroken
Of all the vile demeane, and vsage bad,
With which he had those two so ill bestad
Ne wight with him on that aduenture went,
But that wylde man, whom though heoftforbad,
Yet for no bidding, nor for being shent,
Would he restrayned be from his attendement
Arnuing there, as did by chaunce befall,
He found the gate wyde ope, and in he rode,
Ne stayd, till that he came into the hall
Where soft dismounting like a weary lode,
Vpon the ground with feeble feete he trode,
As he vnable were for very neede
To moue one foote, but there must make
abode,
The whiles the saluage man did take his steede,
And in some stable neare did set him vp tofeede
20
Ere long to him a homely groome there came,
That in rude wise him asked, what he was,
That durst so boldly, without let or shame,
Into his Lords forbidden hall to passe
To whom the Prince, him fayning to embase,
Mylde answer made, he was an errant Knight,
The which was fall'n into this feeble case,
Through many wounds, which lately he in fight
Receiued had, and prayd to pitty his ill plight
21
But he, the more outrageous and bold,
Sternely did bid him quickely thence auaunt,
Or deare aby, for why his Lord of old
Did hate all errant Knights, which there did
haunt,
Ne lodging would to any of them graunt,
And therefore lightly bad him packe away,
Not sparing him with bitter words to taunt,
And there withall rude hand on him did lay,
To thrust him out of dore, doing his worst assay
22
Which when the Saluage comming now in place,
Beheld, eftsoones he all enraged grew,
And running streight vpon that villaine base,
Like a fell Lion at him fiercely flew,
And with his teeth and nailes, in present vew,
Him rudely rent, and all to peeces tore
So miserably him all helpelesse slew,
That with the noise, whilest he did loudly rore,
The people of the house rose forth in great
vprore 23
Who when on ground they saw their fellow
slaine,
And that same Knight and Saluage standing by,
Vpon them two they fell with might and maine,
And on them layd so huge and horribly,
As if they would haue slaine them presently
But the bold Prince defended him so well,
And their assault withstood so mightily,
That maugre all their might, he did repel!,
And beat them back, whilest many vnderneath
him fell
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Yet he them still so sharpely did pursew,
That few of them he left aliue, which fled,
Those euill tidings to their Lord to shew
Who hearing how his people badly sped,
Came forth in hast where when as with the dead
He saw the ground all strow'd, and that same
Knight
And saluage with their bloud fresh steemingred,
He woxenighmad with wrath and fell despight,
And with reprochfull words him thus bespake
on hight